Tuesday, October 27, 2015

We are now hours away from the start of the 2015-16 NBA season, but who's counting?!

Unless you're a Sixers fan (like me), the start of the NBA season brings with it optimism for teams and fan bases alike.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers prohibitive favorites in the Eastern Conference, virtually all of the intrigue lies in the Western Conference.

Six of the top seven teams in our NBA Power Rankings all reside in the West.

The Warriors are as deep as any team and have the league's reigning MVP, Stephen Curry, and earn the top spot in our power rankings as defending NBA champions. Meanwhile, the Spurs have as much talent as any team with the addition of free-agent LaMarcus Aldridge to a roster that includes Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, etc.

While health will obviously be a key factor, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the potential to win it all.

At full strength, few teams have as much overall talent and the duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the most-dominant 1-2 punch in the league. The last time they both played 80-plus games (2012-13), Oklahoma City was the No. 1 seed out west with 60 wins. That season, Durant and Westbrook averaged 28.1/7.9/4.6 and 23.2/5.2/7.4, respectively, and both players have triple-double potential in any given night.

Not only is it natural to worry about KD's foot, but Westbrook has missed at least 15 games in three of the past four seasons. And last year the team used 18 different starting lineups.

In addition to Durant and Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson round out the starting five. After joining the Thunder last season, Kanter averaged a double-double (18.7 points and 11.0 rebounds) in his 26 games with OKC.

If the Thunder win the title, will Durant return as a free agent in 2016? That will obviously be a huge story line next summer; for now, however, the Thunder are my preseason pick to win it all.

2016 NBA Finals Prediction: Thunder over Cavaliers in seven games

Below are our NBA Power Rankings heading into the first week of the NBA season:

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

We are now less than 24 away from the 2015 NBA Draft, which will be held tomorrow night at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn, NY.

With that said, here is my latest 2015 NBA mock draft:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

More of a well-rounded prospect than Duke's Jahlil Okafor, once considered a lock for the top pick, Towns has become the consensus option for Minnesota based on the mock drafts in our database. And it makes plenty of sense.

No team allowed more points per game than Minnesota (106.5/G) last season and Towns ranked first in the nation in both Defensive Rating (78.1) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.311), per Sports Reference. Averaging just 21.1 minutes per game last year, Towns averaged 19.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per 40 minutes and shot 81.3 percent from the free-throw line.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Okafor is a skilled back-to-the-basket player on the offensive end of the court that averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as he led Duke to a national championship -- over Towns and Kentucky -- as a freshman. The only Lakers currently under contract beyond next season are Julius Randle, last year's first-round pick, and Nick Young although three players including Jordan Clarkson will be restricted free agents in 2016.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

The best-case scenario for the Sixers in the NBA Draft Lottery was the No. 1, 6 and 11 picks, but instead they ended up with the most-likely scenario of only the third pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. That also means that the Sixers will go into the 2016 NBA Draft with the possibility of having four first-round picks.

The Sixers got nothing out of their two first-round picks -- Joel Embiid and Elfrid Payton, subsequently traded for Dario Saric -- last year and it's possible that they may get nothing from them this upcoming season as well. Not only will Saric stay in Turkey, but Embiid's foot is not healing as fast as expected and there's the potential that he misses another season if he has surgery once again.

Compared to a month ago when most believed this pick would be either Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, it will likely come down to Russell or Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis. With the ability to facilitate for others or create his own offense, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while knocking down 41.1 percent of his three-pointers as a freshman in Columbus.

With three lottery picks in the past two drafts, the Magic have added three elite defenders -- Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton (via Philly). That said, the Magic were just 27th in the league in Offensive Rating (99.6).

Hezonja has excellent size (6-8) and athleticism to attack the basket but he also possesses outstanding range. And it's clear that Hezonja does not lack confidence.

6. Sacramento Kings: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

Viewed by many as the top high school recruit in the country last year, Mudiay opted to play professionally in China after committing to Larry Brown and SMU. Mudiay possesses all of the attributes to develop into an elite point guard in the league. With great size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and strength for the position as well as speed and quickness, Mudiay averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 boards and 5.9 assists in China.

7. Denver Nuggets: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Small forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari will both become unrestricted free agents after the upcoming season. An athletic and strong wing player with an excellent motor, Winslow, son of Phi Slamma Jamma's Ricky Winslow, has scored in double digits in all but one of his final 20 games. During that 20-game stretch, Winslow averaged 14.6 points, 8.25 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and connected on more than half (24 of 47) of his three-point attempts. One knock on Winslow, however, is that he measured under 6-foot-5 at the NBA Scouting Combine.

8. Detroit Pistons: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Excelling as a defender and rebounder, Johnson already has an NBA body and has drawn some comparisons to Metta World Peace and Kawhi Leonard. Johnson averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game at Arizona this season. Improving as a shooter, Johnson knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-pointers this season.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

The Hornets made only 31.8-percent of their three-point attempts and that ranked dead last in the NBA last season. Booker is the best shooter in this year's draft class so he obviously fits a team need. The youngest prospect in this year's draft class (turns 19 on October 30th), Booker also had an impressive showing at the NBA Combine with the fastest times in lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run (2.75 seconds).

10. Miami Heat: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

Turner has plenty of upside although he was inconsistent in his lone season in Austin. An athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game), Turner also has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down shots from behind the three-point line.

11. Indiana Pacers: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein may be the most unique prospect in this year's draft in that the seven-footer has the versatility to defend all five positions on the floor. Although he runs the floor well and is an excellent athlete, he has plenty of limitations on the offensive end at this point in his development, however. I could see "Trill" going higher than this (he was sixth in my previous update), but there are reports of teams being concerned with Cauley-Stein's foot.

Not only do the Jazz have a solid young core including a pair of talented bigs in Rudy Gobert (a.k.a. Stifle Tower) and Derrick Favors, but all of their key players are under contract for at least the next two seasons. Ultimately, I'd expect them to go best player available, but Frank the Tank makes sense as a big that can stretch the floor. The versatile Kaminsky led the Badgers in scoring (18.8/G), rebounding (8.2/G), assists (2.6/G, tied) and blocks (1.5/G) in addition to connecting on 41.6-percent of his three-pointers last season.

13. Phoenix Suns: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Someone may roll the dice earlier based on his tremendous upside, but Oubre had an up-and-down freshman season at Kansas. With excellent athleticism and length (7-2 wingspan), Oubre has the potential to become a really good defensive player and is also a decent shooter.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State

On a loaded team with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook & Co., Billy Donovan and the Thunder will likely go with the best player available, but Payne would also make sense. Few players have generated as much draft buzz and seen his draft stock rise as Payne has over the past couple of months and he may creep into the top-10 picks. As a sophomore at Murray State, Payne averaged 20.2 points, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

15. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

Power forward Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The fourth Wildcat selected in the top half of my mock, Lyles may have been overshadowed some on such a star-studded team as he mostly played out of position (small forward). That said, Lyles has the ability to score inside as well as consistently knock down mid-range jumpers and he would contribute towards filling Millsap's void if he departs in free agency.

Kevin: While there may be some debate whether this pick should be Towns or Duke's Jahlil Okafor, I still believe that Towns makes the most sense. A more well-rounded prospect overall, Towns is clearly much better than Okafor on the defensive end and Minnesota ranked dead last in scoring defense (106.5/G) last year. Towns ranked first in the country in Defensive Rating (78.1) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.311), via Sports Reference.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Brendan: I'm not buying the D'Angelo Russell-to-Lakers rumors. I don't see how the Lakers can pass on a big man that also fills a big need. The Lakers have been most successful when they've had a dominant big man, i.e., Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, etc. And while I'm not saying Okafor is in that same ilk, he is clearly the most dominant inside player still in the draft and will be too hard to pass up. Yes, I understand the game is evolving but Okafor is a rare talent offensively and also a great passer that will create his own mismatches and problems for opposing defenses.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

Kevin: With Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid already on the roster, the decision may have come down to Emmanuel Mudiay or Russell even if they held a top-two pick in this year's draft. That said, the Sixers are reportedly enamored with Latvian seven-footer Kristaps Porzingis and the healing process of Embiid's foot could potentially sideline the seven-footer for another season.

While I think Mudiay has a higher ceiling and could ultimately develop into the better pro, it's close and Russell fits better. With the ability to facilitate for others or create his own offense, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while knocking down 41.1 percent of his three-pointers as a freshman in Columbus.

4. New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

Brendan: I have a feeling if Adam Silver announces this name as the Knicks selection, it will most likely draw a chorus of boos from Knicks fans. However, Porzingis has drawn comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki and I think well-versed Knicks fans would be very excited that they could land a player that projects to have that kind of impact in this league and give them a lot of hope for the future even though he may not have a huge impact on day one.

5. Orlando Magic: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Congo

Kevin: If Porzingis were available here, he'd be a slam-dunk, no-brainer selection. With Brendan (i.e., the Knicks) swiping him with the No. 4 pick, there was some serious debate here. I strongly considered Mario Hezonja, a 6-foot-8 wing with great athleticism, range and confidence as well.

Even though there is duplication here with Elfrid Payton, a player that I like a lot, Mudiay is the best player available and at least needs to be seriously considered here by Orlando's front office. Viewed by many as the top high school recruit in the country last year, Mudiay opted to play professionally in China after committing to Larry Brown and SMU. With all of the attributes to develop into an elite point guard in the league, Mudiay has great size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and strength for the position as well as speed and quickness. He averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 boards and 5.9 assists in China.

6. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Brendan: I compare Cauley-Stein to Tyson Chandler, which certainly isn't a bad thing, but does suggest that he will be limited offensively at the next level. Heck, he was limited offensively in the SEC so that says something, but he was such a dominant defender and can guard pretty much any position on the floor that he will be able to have an immediate impact at the next level. Since DeMarcus Cousins is already a great offensive player who demands the ball, Cauley-Stein will be a nice complement to him for Sacramento.

7. Denver Nuggets: Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia

Kevin: Hezonja has excellent size (6-8) and athleticism to attack the basket but he also possesses outstanding range as well. And it's clear that Hezonja does not lack confidence. And this selection would certainly have the approval of Nuggets big man Jusuf Nurkic.

8. Detroit Pistons: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Brendan: Once thought to be a contender for the 1st overall pick after a great showing in the NCAA tournament, Winslow has slipped a bit based on his measurements at the combine. Winslow has a high ceiling, but he's still a good enough defender and talented enough to make an impact as a rookie.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

Kevin: The Hornets made only 31.8-percent of their three-point attempts and that ranked dead last in the NBA last season. Booker is the best shooter in this year's draft class so he obviously fits a team need. The youngest prospect in this year's draft class (turns 19 on October 30th), Booker also had an impressive showing at the NBA Combine with the fastest times in lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run (2.75 seconds).

10. Miami Heat: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Brendan: With an NBA body, Johnson is an outstanding defender and rebounder that averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game at Arizona this season. He needs to improve as a shooter, but he made more 37-percent of his three's last season.

11. Indiana Pacers: Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State

Kevin: Few players have generated as much draft buzz and seen his draft stock rise as Payne has over the past couple of months and he may creep into the top-10 picks. Either way, it's unlikely that he falls out of the lottery. As a sophomore at Murray State, Payne averaged 20.2 points, 5.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. The Pacers have a number of guards that are about to hit free agency -- Rodney Stuckey, Donald Sloan and C.J. Watson.

12. Utah Jazz: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Brendan: Oubre's stock is all over the place. With undeniable talent and superior defensive skills, Oubre was wildly inconsistent last season, but he has a high ceiling.

13. Phoenix Suns: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

Kevin: Turner has plenty of upside to warrant a selection higher than this even though he was inconsistent in his lone season in Austin. An athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game), Turner also has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down shots from behind the three-point line.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Brendan: With the acquisition of Enes Kanter and the assumption that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka are all healthy next year, the Thunder are in position to go best player available that can help them win right away. The versatile Kaminsky led the Badgers in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks while shooting 41.6-percent from three-point range.

15. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

Kevin: Power forward Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The fourth Wildcat selected in the top half of my mock, Lyles may have been overshadowed some on such a star-studded team as he mostly played out of position (small forward). That said, Lyles has the ability to score inside as well as consistently knock down mid-range jumpers.

Friday, May 29, 2015

With the 2015 NBA Draft less than four weeks away, we have updated our 2015 NBA Mock Draft.
Here is my projection of our 2015 NBA mock draft:

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

This pick should come down to either Duke's Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns. Not only would Towns fit better, but he's a better prospect on the defensive end and no team allowed more points per game than Minnesota (106.5/G) last season. Playing only 21.1 minutes per game for the star-studded Wildcats, Towns ranked first in the country in Defensive Rating (78.1) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.311), via Sports Reference.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

For much of the season, Okafor seemed to be a lock for the No. 1 overall pick. While he's no longer a lock for the top spot and may slip to the second pick, Okafor is an extremely skilled big man on the offensive end of the court . Okafor averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as he led Duke to a national championship.

The only Lakers currently under contract beyond next season are Julius Randle, last year's first-round pick, and Nick Young although three players including Jordan Clarkson will be restricted free agents in 2016.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

The best-case scenario for the Sixers in the NBA Draft Lottery was the No. 1, 6 and 11 picks, but instead they ended up with the most-likely scenario of only the third pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. That said, the Sixers will go into the 2016 NBA Draft with the possibility of having four first-round picks.

With Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid already on the roster, the decision may have come down to Emmanuel Mudiay and Russell even if they held a top-two pick in this year's draft. While I think Mudiay has a higher ceiling and could ultimately develop into the better pro, it's close and Russell fits better. With the ability to facilitate for others or create his own offense, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while knocking down 41.1 percent of his three-pointers as a freshman in Columbus.

4. New York Knicks: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

Viewed by many as the top high school recruit in the country last year, Mudiay opted to play professionally in China after committing to Larry Brown and SMU. Perhaps he isn't the best fit for the triangle, but he possesses all of the attributes to develop into an elite point guard in the league. With great size (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) and strength for the position as well as speed and quickness, Mudiay averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 boards and 5.9 assists in China.

5. Orlando Magic: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

There is clearly a gap between the top-four prospects in this draft class and the next tier of prospects. The Magic could go in a few different directions here, but Porzingis would make sense. With three first-round picks in 2013 and 2014, the Magic have added three elite defenders -- Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton.

On his big board, ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave players a WARP (wins above replacement player) ranking over their first five years and he has Porzingis second in that category behind only to Russell.

6. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein may be the most unique prospect in this year's draft in that the seven-footer has the versatility to defend all five positions on the floor. Although he runs the floor well and is an excellent athlete, he has plenty of limitations on the offensive end at this point in his development, however.

7. Denver Nuggets: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Small forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari will both become unrestricted free agents after the upcoming season. An athletic and strong wing player with an excellent motor, Winslow, son of Phi Slamma Jamma's Ricky Winslow, has scored in double digits in all but one of his final 20 games. During that 20-game stretch, Winslow averaged 14.6 points, 8.25 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and connected on more than half (24 of 47) of his three-point attempts. One knock on Winslow, however, is that he measured under 6-foot-5 at the NBA Scouting Combine.

8. Detroit Pistons: Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia

With Greg Monroe about to become a free agent, I could see the Pistons going with one of the top power forwards on the board. That said, I could also see Hezonja go as high as No. 5 to the Magic. Hezonja has excellent size (6-8) and athleticism with outstanding range and he certainly does not lack confidence.

9. Charlotte Hornets: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Excelling as a defender and rebounder, Johnson already has an NBA body and has drawn some comparisons to Metta World Peace. Johnson averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game at Arizona this season. Although he's not a great shooter, Johnson knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-pointers this season.

10. Miami Heat: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

Not only does Dwyane Wade turn 34 in January, but he's under contract for just one more season. Booker is the best shooter in this year's draft class and the Heat ranked near the bottom of the league in three-pointers made (6.8/G) and percentage (33.5 percent). In addition, Booker had an impressive showing that the NBA Combine with the fastest times in lane agility (10.2 seconds) and shuttle run (2.75 seconds).

Booker described his meeting with Heat president Pat Riley as "great" and said: "He said D-Wade is getting older now, is on the last part of his career, and come and learn from him. And I thought that would be a great fit for me and I'm willing to learn from all veterans, especially one of the best two-guards to ever play the game. So I think that would be a great fit for myself."

11. Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

With Roy Hibbert potentially becoming a free agent -- Hibbert has a player option -- and the team wanting to play faster in the future, Turner would make sense here. Turner has plenty of upside to warrant a selection higher than this even though he was inconsistent in his lone season in Austin. Turner is an athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game) yet has the ability to knock down shots from behind the three-point line.

12. Utah Jazz: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Not only do the Jazz have a solid young core including a pair of talented bigs in Rudy Gobert (a.k.a. Stifle Tower) and Derrick Favors, but all of their key players are under contract for at least the next two seasons. Ultimately, I'd expect them to go best player available, but Frank the Tank makes sense as a big that can stretch the floor. The versatile Kaminsky led the Baders in scoring (18.8/G), rebounding (8.2/G), assists (2.6/G, tied) and blocks (1.5/G) in addition to connecting on 41.6-percent of his three-pointers.

13. Phoenix Suns: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

It was an up-and-down freshman season for him at Kansas, but Oubre has shown flashes. With excellent athleticism and length (7-2 wingspan), Oubre has the potential to become a really good defensive player and he is also a decent shooter.

14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

The fourth Wildcat selected in the lottery based on my mock, Lyles may have been overshadowed some on such a star-studded team as he mostly played out of position (small forward). That said, Lyles has the ability to score inside as well as consistently knock down mid-range jumpers.

15. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas

Power forward Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The SEC Player of the Year, Portis averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Razorbacks last season.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

The 2015 NBA Draft order used in our 2015 NBA mock draft is based on the inverse order of our NBA Power Rankings.

Here is my projection of our 2015 NBA mock draft:

1. New York Knicks: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

For most of the season, Okafor seemed to be a lock for the No. 1 overall pick. While he may no longer be a lock for the top spot, Okafor is an extremely skilled big man on the offensive end of the court . Okafor is averaging 17.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game on the year.

For what it's worth, Charley Rosen, a Phil Jackson confidant and former assistant coach, says that Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns doesn't have the "big butt" needed to flourish in the triangle offense, per Marc Berman of the NY Post.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

A much better prospect than Okafor on the defensive end, Towns is viewed by several as the top overall prospect in this year's draft class. Playing only 20.8 minutes per game for the 38-0 Wildcats, Towns ranks first in the country in Defensive Rating (77.0) and Win Shares Per 40 Minutes (.315), via Sports Reference.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

After originally committing to Larry Brown's SMU, Mudiay decided to sign a one-year, $1.2 million contract in China. An ankle injury limited the 6-foot-5 point guard to only 12 games, but he averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
4. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

While Okafor and Towns may have more upside, the Sixers could use backcourt help with a future front court of Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric. With the versatility to play the point or off guard spots, Russell is a talented scorer with excellent range, but he has the ability to create for others as well. The freshman averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game this season.

5. Orlando Magic: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

An athletic and strong wing player with an excellent motor, Winslow, son of Phi Slamma Jamma's Ricky Winslow, has scored in double digits in all but one of his past 18 games. During that stretch, Winslow has seven double-doubles and has averaged 14.56 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game and he has made 23-of-45 (51.1 percent) three-point attempts.

6. Sacramento Kings: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

Only 19 years old, Porzingis is a skilled seven-footer that would have likely been a first-round pick last year had he not withdrawn from the 2014 NBA Draft. Porzingis has drawn some comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki. As current Sevilla teammate Derrick Byars said, "Kristaps has a Nowitzki-like offensive skill set. He's 7-1, can shoot, can put the ball on the floor, can block shots, he's mobile and athletic. There's not much he can't do on the floor."

7. Denver Nuggets: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Small forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari will both become unrestricted free agents after the upcoming season. Johnson already has an NBA body and excels as a defender and rebounder and has drawn some comparisons to Metta World Peace. Johnson has averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Although he's not a great shooter, but Johnson has knocked down 37.1 percent of his three-pointers this season.

9. Detroit Pistons: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein may be the most unique prospect eligible for the draft in that the seven-footer has the versatility to defend all five positions on the floor. Although he runs the floor well and is an excellent athlete, he has plenty of limitations on the offensive end at this point in his development, however.

9. Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets): Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA

The versatile power forward actually played point guard as a senior in high school and has had a strong freshman season -- 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and shot 41.5 percent from three-point range. Meanwhile, Paul Millsap is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

10. Boston Celtics: Myles Turner, PF, Texas

Turner has plenty of upside as an athletic seven-footer that can rebound and block shots (2.6 per game) and has the ability to knock down shots from behind the three-point line. At the same time, he's been incredibly inconsistent this season. Later in the lottery, however, he's certainly worth the gamble on his upside.

11. Milwaukee Bucks: Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Despite struggles in his last four games (7.25 PPG, 3.75 RPG, 0.75 SPG), Oubre was coming on strong in his previous five games (15.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG and 1.2 BPG). In a way, that was his season as the freshman struggled with consistency, but he's an excellent wing defender with good size and athleticism as well as a solid jumper.

12. Philadelphia 76ers (via Miami Heat): Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia

There is a good chance that Hezonja may not be available at this point, but the Sixers can use their second of two lottery picks on a player they can stash in Europe a little longer. Hezonja, who recently turned 20, is an athletic wing that can score and shoot from anywhere.

13. Charlotte Hornets: Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas

Perhaps Portis will return as he recently said that he's "leaning toward coming back just because we lost and I hate losing." If he declares, however, Portis could be a potential lottery pick. Portis was named SEC Player of the Year and averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

14. Indiana Pacers: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

The likely winner of the Naismith award as college basketball's best player, Kaminsky is having a phenomenal senior season as he leads Wisconsin in scoring (18.7/G), rebounding (8.0/G), blocks (1.5/G) and assists (2.7/G). In addition, the seven-footer is second on the squad in three-point shooting (41.5 percent).

15. Utah Jazz: Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

The third Wildcat in the first half of this mock, Lyles has the ability to score both inside and outside and could play either forward spot for the Jazz.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Three teams have double-digit winning streaks this season -- Atlanta Hawks (19), Golden State Warriors (16) and Cleveland Cavaliers (12).

Both the Hawks and Warriors have had nine-game winning streaks as well, but the Warriors' nine-game winning streak is currently active as we head into Week 22.

In Steve Kerr's first year as head coach, he has already set a franchise record with 60 wins (and counting), which breaks the previous record of Al Attles and the 1975-76 Warriors that finished with a 59-23 record. Of those 60 wins, 43 of them have been by double digits, which leads the NBA by a wide margin.

Despite playing less than 33 minutes per game, Stephen Curry is having a career season.

Curry is averaging 26.0 points, 8.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds with 2.3 steals per 36 minutes, all of which are career highs for him. Leading the league in free-throw percentage (91.6 percent), Curry is shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range and a career-high 52.9 percent on two-point attempts.

While Houston's James Harden leads the NBA in Win Shares (14.6) -- Curry is second (14.2), no player has more Win Shares Per 48 Minutes than Curry (.292). Harden (.265) is third as he trails both Curry and Anthony Davis (.278).

Green is averaging nearly 10 minutes more per game this year (31.6/G) than last season (21.9/G) and stuffs the stat sheet across the board -- 11.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. On a per-36 basis, he's averaging a career high in all of those categories except for steals.

Clips continue to beat up East; real test vs. dubs next

The Clippers have the league's second-longest active winning streak of seven games.

Many of those wins have been against the league's bottom-feeder Eastern Conference teams with the three most recent wins against the Knicks, 76ers and Celtics last night.

The Clippers face the Warriors and Blazers on back-to-back nights (Tuesday and Wednesday), but then four of their final six games will be against the Lakers (twice) and Nuggets (twice).

Based on Western Conference seeding, the Clippers are currently the No. 4 seed, but they are within 1.5 games of the No. 2 seed (Rockets). On the other hand, they are only 1.5 games within the No. 6 seed (Spurs).

With Jones fracture surgery in his right foot delaying the start of his season by 17 games, Durant will now miss the next four to six months as he recovers from a bone-graft procedure.

Playing a total of only 27 games this season, Durant has also missed multiple games three different times between Game 1 and 27 for him this season.

Only five of those 27 games were in February, but the Thunder have won 19 of their 26 games in February and March.

Of course, Russell Westbrook has carried the team by averaging more than 30 points and 10 assists in both February and March.

Here are Westbrook's monthly per-game splits (since December -- played only three games before then):

December: 28. 3 points, 7.4 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals

January: 21.1 points, 7.6 assists, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals

February: 31.2 points, 10.3 assists, 9.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals

March: 30.9 points, 10.2 assists, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals

Since February, Westbrook has eight triple-doubles. The rest of the league combined has a total of 12 triple-doubles during that span.

NYK: From Worse to Worst

Obviously, the New York Knicks have struggled all season and Carmelo Anthony was shut down following the All-Star Game.

As bad as things have been, things are getting even worse with the potentially season-ending rib injury to Alexey Schved. Excluding his final game this season when he played only 17 minutes, Schved averaged 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 steals in previous eight games.

In the three games he has missed since the injury, the Knicks have lost all three games by a combined margin of 56 points. The Knicks now have four losses by 30-plus points; only the Sixers have more (five).

With eight games to go, the Knicks have just 14 wins and currently own the league's worst record. The team has never won fewer than 21 games in a season and both of those seasons were in the early sixties, but there is no chance that they win seven of eight games to avoid setting a franchise-low for wins.

Monday, March 23, 2015

After Paul George's gruesome injury with USA Basketball, it was expected that he would miss the entire season.

Last week, however, it was reported that he could potentially make a return this week, although he has been ruled out for Monday's game.

"We want to make sure I'm as close to 100 [percent] as possible," George said (via ESPN). "It's not coming down to you know, 'Paul's feeling good, let's get him out there.' It's about making sure everything's where I'm comfortable, where the medical staff is comfortable, where the front office is comfortable."

The Pacers were surging in the standings, but they have lost five consecutive games and currently sit outside of the top-eight seeds in the Eastern Conference. That said, they are only one-half game behind the Hornets, who are currently the No. 8 seed.

Four teams -- Charlotte, Boston, Indiana and Brooklyn -- are all separated by one game in the Eastern Conference standings.

Back-to-back triple-doubles for Payton

Elfrid Payton is having a magical rookie season and the ex-Ragin' Cajun did something this past week that no Magic player has ever done.

Payton recorded back-to-back triple-doubles on Wednesday (15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds) and Friday (22 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds). The last time a rookie posted consecutive triple-doubles was Antoine Walker in 1997.

While these are the only two triple-doubles of Payton's career, he is one of just eight players that have multiple triple-doubles this season. In addition, the only player with more than three triple-doubles this season is Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (10).

MCW did not play in his first three games as a member of the Bucks and he also missed a game against the Grizzlies on March 14th. Since the trade deadline, however, the Bucks have won only four of 17 games. Three of those four wins were against bottom-feeder teams -- Denver, Philadelphia and Orlando.

The Bucks carry a league-high six-game losing streak into this week's games. The Bucks will host the Heat, Pacers and Warriors in a three-game week.

Noel averaging double-double in March

Philadelphia 76ers power forward Nerlens Noel has really stepped up over the past month on a team otherwise devoid of (healthy and local) talent.

In 12 March games, Noel is averaging a double-double -- 13.2 points and 10.5 rebounds -- per game.

More impressive than the double-double, however, is that Noel is averaging 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.

To put it into perspective, the list of players with at least 15 steals and 15 blocks this month is one: Noel.

But Noel has way more than 15 of each -- 32 steals and 24 blocked shots.

The Manimal averaging double-double post-Shaw

Since the Nuggets have fired Brian Shaw on March 3rd, the Denver Nuggets have been playing much better basketball although they have lost three of their past four games. In the 12 games without him, however, the Nuggets have posted a 7-5 record.

With Shaw, the team won only 20 of 59 games.

One of the players that has been playing well without Shaw is Kenneth Faried.

The Manimal is averaging 16.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game since the firing of his head coach. During that span, Faried has seven double-doubles in 11 games.

As a comparison, Faried averaged 11.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 0.7 blocks and 0.7 steals in 54 games with inconsistent minutes with Shaw as coach.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

After missing Sunday's game against the Lakers with a cheekbone fracture, Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook returned to the court on Wednesday against the Sixers and picked up where he left off.

Before the injury and missed game, Westbrook had three consecutive triple-doubles and he extended his triple-double streak to four games with a career-high 49 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists and added three steals and a block.

The last player to record four consecutive triple-doubles was Michael Jordan.

For those that play daily fantasy basketball, Westbrook has scored more than 53 DraftKings fantasy points in seven consecutive games and over his past three games, he has scored an insane 82.0, 76.25 and 95.0 fantasy points, respectively.

The Cavs were without point guard Kyrie Irving (and the Rockets, of course, were still without Dwight Howard), but the battle between the Cavs and Rockets and Harden and LeBron went into overtime.

LeBron put together a strong line overall with 37 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks, but he was awful from the free-throw line. Making only three of his 11 free throws, it was the first time in his career that he shot at least 10 free throws and made three or less.

Meanwhile, Harden (or should I say, King James?) posted a nearly identical line by scoring 33 points (including 15-of-18 free throws) and adding eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.

With the win over the Cavs, the Rockets are tied with the Pelicans for the league's longest active winning streak of five games.

Houston will open this week with a tough back-to-back on Tuesday (at Atlanta, 47-12) and Wednesday (vs. Memphis, 42-16). Only three teams have a better winning percentage than the Rockets (.695) and the Hawks and Grizzlies are two of those teams.

Since his MVP-winning 2010-11 season, Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has played a total of 95 games over the past three-and-a-half seasons.

Unfortunately, there's a chance that Rose, who had surgery on his meniscus last week, won't play any more regular-season games this season.

With a timetable of four to six weeks, however, he is expected to return at some point and he's already rehabbing his knee. If he doesn't play during the rest of the regular season, D-Rose should return at some point during the playoffs.

Making matters worse for the Bulls, they will be without Jimmy Butler as well.

Butler and Rose are the team's top-two scorers -- 20.2 and 18.4 points per game, respectively -- and no player has averaged more minutes per game than Butler (38.9/G), who is also one of the league's best perimeter defenders.

In addition to the loss of Butler and Rose, the Bulls are expected to be without Taj Gibson for another week. Gibson is averaging a career-high 13.0 points in 28.7 minutes per game as well as 6.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

No player has more triple-doubles this season than Westbrook (five). Coincidentally, the two players tied for second -- Rajon Rondo and Michael Carter-Williams (three each) -- have both been traded during the season.

Monday, February 23, 2015

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been without star forward Kevin Durant for much of the season and are without him again, for now.

After his October surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his foot, Durant made his season debut on December 2nd, but he has missed another 12 games as well so far this season.

Durant has had a second surgical procedure on his foot and will be evaluated in a week.

"The good news is that the fracture itself is healing excellently and from what the doctors conveyed to us we continue to feel very good about the prognosis moving forward," Presti said (via ESPN). "But in the short term, as he's continued to have this discomfort we wanted to determine the best way to alleviate it while still promoting the healing of the initial injury."

At the moment, the Thunder, who own a league-high six-game winning streak, are currently the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and they are two games ahead of Phoenix and 2.5 games ahead of the Pelicans.

The Pelicans will be dealing with their own injuries, perhaps more significant on a short-term basis, as they will be without power forward Anthony Davis (shoulder) for up to two weeks. In addition, Ryan Anderson is out with a torn MCL as well.

The 'Brow has missed seven games this season and the Pelicans are 2-5 in those games without him.

On the season, Davis is averaging 23.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 54.4 percent from the field and 83.1 percent from the line.

The only other player to average 23/10/2.5/1 since three players -- David Robinson, Alonzo Mourning and Hakeem Olajuwon -- did so in the 1995-96 season was Elton Brand (2005-06). Of the nine players, some in multiple seasons, to average 23/10/2.5/1 since 1973-74, none of them (aside from Davis) have shot better than 80 percent from the free-throw line.